When I got home that night I was immediately uplifted by a letter from a teacher in San Antonio, Texas, who is following my story; telling me that some classes were studying alternative energy and would like to know if I could send a letter and pictures to the students.

OF COURSE, I WILL! I put some really good thought into what I could tell a bunch of fourth- and fifth-graders. Now I have it in my head that I’m going to travel around, speaking to schools about solar power and growing your own food!

Since I have been off grid, my wardrobe consists of sweat pants, hoodies, a robe and rain boots. Nothing new, I know …

Picture this: Me standing on my porch in my sweats, rain boots, big shirt and robe with gun in hand, firing it at coyotes. Just kidding, it was Phil firing the gun off into the night to scare off the coyotes. They are getting really brave. Barking and howling about 50 yards from our house, taunting the dogs to come out. Last night they started yipping about 7:30.

Normally I hear them in the field between midnight and 3 a.m. Jake still wants to play with them. I can picture him kangarooing around the coyotes and them taking little nibbles out of his face. If they don’t stop, I might call in the damn firing squad.

It’s getting to that time where we should start getting some seeds so we can get our starts going. We also should stop messing around and get our act together with the entire farm. Except I’m not sure when we should start tilling up the land and I think I need a tractor. If someone wants to let me borrow that or come mow my field out of the kindness of their hearts … I’m open to that. I’ll feed you and pay for gas or whatever the tractor takes. Just throwing that out there.

We started to fix up the sunroom. When I say “we” I mean Phil. I do dishes, play with the girls or plan my “store” that I don’t have but really hope to have this summer; basically I daydream all day. Anyway, the sunroom has a variety of wood pieces and sizes. It should be either really beautiful or really awful when it’s done. I’ll do the floor though, I can’t decide if I want brick or beach rock. Again, I’m open to suggestions!

Alright, enough of my rambling; I’m going to get back to either:

1) Writing more letters to schools about solar power

2) Killing coyotes

3) Picking out my sweats for the week

4) Daydreaming about a store (probably this)

5) Going through the seed catalog

6) Not messing with the sunroom because Phil will kill me

Questions comments? jaymigoetze@yahoo.com